Best price on a new VW Transporter

Henwardian

I have a quote for a new T6, it's the bottom of the range startline 2.0TDI 84PS EU5 T26 with a medium height roof option added. I added several free options (tailgate replacing double doors at back, removed lashing rings and load side lining and specify interior and exterior colours) and specified I would pay cash. The dealer quoted me £20 000 for this (inc VAT, 1st registration, 1 year road tax and transport from factory to dealer).

This price represents £2700 (inc VAT) off the list price, or a 12% discount.

Is this the best sort of price I am likely to get or can I get a significant further discount?
What would be the best way to go about getting the best possible price? (I am considering AutoeBid but wary of getting locked into buying with them when a good offer might be possible just by talking to a few dealers).
Does anyone happen to know what the mark-up on a VW Transporter is? I know, for example, that some equipment I buy is sold at a 40% mark-up on the trade-price from the supplier, is anything like this big a margin for Transporters?
Looking at a Renault Traffic, there are websites offering these for a 40% discount on list price straight off the bat. To me, it stands to reason that VW must be able to still make a healthy profit while offering at least 20-30% off list price is their competition is offering such huge discounts. What am I missing?

[Deleted User]

Seems quite cheap and these things hold their value relatively speaking.

Iceweasel

You seem to be looking at the prices/discount while still including VAT.

You need to calculate the % discount - or dealer 'contribution' that they often prefer to call it - by looking at the price before VAT and without including the delivery cost, registration and tax, and number-plates etc.

Then you will get a much higher figure than the 12% you mention.

Last month I bought a new car with 22.5% off.

That was 22.5% off the basic price including options/extras - of course I then had to pay full price for the tax/delivery/plates and VAT on the discounted price.

Hope that makes the deal appear better.

Henwardian

If I take off the extra costs for delivery, tax, etc. The dealer contribution is 12.5%.

22.5% would probably be a figure I would by happy accepting. Did you get offered that straight up or have to bargain with the dealer?

Working it out before or after VAT doesn't make a difference to the percentage figure reached.

burlington6

Bought these in the past. Massively overrated.

People buy them because of the image and the culture they wish to get involved with ( which is fair enough )

If you're buying one to work, then there are far better vans out there.

Iceweasel

Henwardian wrote: »

If I take off the extra costs for delivery, tax, etc. The dealer contribution is 12.5%.

22.5% would probably be a figure I would by happy accepting. Did you get offered that straight up or have to bargain with the dealer?

Working it out before or after VAT doesn't make a difference to the percentage figure reached.

The VAT makes a difference depending on how you look at it - but never mind that.

I very much had to haggle the price.

Don't expect your local dealership to play ball either.

I had e-mailed quotes from brokers including Coast to Coast and Broadspeed and eventually a dealer in Newcastle agreed to match that price.

Have you tried your luck at a M-Benz dealer - a Sprinter may keep it's value better if a tad more expensive to buy.

M-B are currently offering £2800 off straight away - before any negotiation.

Henwardian

I'm buying the van to convert into a camper and use for many, many years to come. The priority is a van that will last a very long time when carefully maintained. Fuel efficiency is of some importance and keeping its second hand value is also somewhat important because I'd like to still have the option to sell it after a few years if I changed priorities in my life.

I didn't consider a Sprinter because they are so much more expensive to start with than a Transporter (about £4000 ex vat at lowest end of the range). My budget is basically about £18 000, though I could stretch it a little. I mainly decided on a Transporter because of it's reputation of lasting for 20 years and doing 200 000 miles.

(A lot of the panel vans have pretty similar fuel efficiencies and when I multiplied up the difference in cost for fuel to do 10 000 miles a year, it was such a modest sum, I rather decided that it shouldn't impact my overall choice very much).

Iceweasel

A camper conversion - interesting!

Here's mine:



I've had it from new in 1998 -

LHD - sliding door on both sides - perfect for European journeys.

Single front seats - no passenger bench - and Minibus headlining

I also ordered it with cabin night-heater and air con.

Fantastically versatile machine - all the interior bits I built so that they can be taken out easily and I still have a full van load space.

Good luck with your search and enjoy it!

burlington6

OP, if you really want a camper that you can you use buy a proper one. You'll soon get sick of the lack of room in a Transporter.

A real motorhome will hold it's value far better too and be easier to sell

Henwardian

I don't want to go too off-topic, into the camper conversion part, I really made the thread hoping to get information on buying a new Transporter.

But a bit of background anyway: I am confident that the Transporter will be the right size because my current camper is a SWB, medium height Transit. I did the conversion myself and have spent up to a year at any one time on the road with it. I use a relatively small vehicle because I don't need the extra room, I'd rather not use more fuel than necessary and being able to camp fairly inconspicuously is of great benefit to me.

BykerSands

18 grand plus conversion cost is a lot to spend to save a few quid on fuel.